SAN FRANCISCO—William J. Guerin has been selected to lead the California Judicial Branch Capital Program Office for the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), Administrative Director of the Courts Judge Steven Jahr announced today. Guerin begins his new role on July 1, replacing Lee Willoughby, who is retiring.

“Bill brings to the AOC not only deep operational and strategic leadership experience in large public building programs, but also demonstrated collaborative strengths of the very kind needed to sustain and grow a capital program of this size and complexity, particularly in a time of fiscal challenges,” said Judge Jahr.

Guerin will lead the office that manages new courthouse design, construction, and major renovation projects for California’s trial and appellate courts in the largest state court construction program in the nation. The office also provides staff support to the Judicial Council’s Court Facilities Advisory Committee, chaired by Justice Brad Hill, administrative presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District. In that support role, the office performs statewide strategic planning for capital outlay and funding.

Justice Hill, who participated in the interviewing and selection process, said, “The search team was impressed by Bill’s ability to lead changes that improved the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and accountability in large public building programs as well as his skill at working with other branches of government and the many stakeholders who help to sustain these important programs over the long term.”

Guerin brings to his new role more than 30 years of public building leadership experience, primarily at the federal General Services Administration (GSA). In his most recent position, he was responsible for the operational oversight of GSA’s entire construction program, more than $1 billion annually. During much of his GSA career, he focused on managing the federal court construction program, which totaled over $7.6 billion invested in more than 80 projects over 15 years. For many years, he served as the principal national contact for federal judges and court executives as clients, and with the federal Administrative Office of the Courts, as well federal, state, and local officials as stakeholders. More recently, he led the GSA’s program management office responsible for expenditure of $5.5 billion in construction funding for a broad range of new construction and green building improvements in more than 500 projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to return to my home state and to support the AOC in delivering this unprecedented courthouse modernization and replacement program,” said Guerin of his appointment. “Lee Willoughby and his team have done a tremendous job of planning and executing this much-needed program, and I look forward to working with the AOC team as well as the judges, court staff, and communities across the state to deliver safe, secure, and cost-effective courthouses for the people of California.”

Guerin, who is a registered architect in California, holds an MBA in Real Estate and Finance from Golden Gate University in San Francisco and a BA in Architecture from U.C. Berkeley.

Guerin will replace Lee Willoughby, who is retiring after nine years with the AOC, the last five as director of the facilities program. During Willoughby’s tenure, the AOC completed transfer of the responsibility for more than 500 court facilities from the counties to the state and undertook dozens of court construction and renovation projects to improve the public’s safety, security and access to justice.